Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is often misunderstood—sometimes willfully, sometimes because we haven’t done enough to clarify the why behind it.
One of the most common misconceptions I hear is this:
“DEI means hiring someone just because they’re [fill in the blank].”
“We don’t want to lower the bar.”
“That sounds like a quota.”
Let’s be clear: DEI is not about checking boxes or hiring someone solely based on their identity. It’s about making smart, strategic decisions that strengthen your organization’s capacity to lead, serve, and grow in a diverse world.
Yes, it might be a good idea to prioritize hiring a woman into your executive team. Make this decision not because she’s a woman, but because your leadership lacks insight into how women experience your culture. You can’t shift what you can’t see.
It might be time to bring a Latine leader onto your product team. Make this decision not because of a quota, but because you’re trying to reach Latino consumers and your current team doesn’t have that lived experience or cultural fluency. That’s not lowering the bar. That’s raising your capacity.
DEI done well isn’t just about fairness—it’s about collective organizational intelligence. It’s about aligning your workforce with your mission, your market, and your values.
We don’t need quotas.
We need strategy.
We need cultural awareness.
We need leadership that knows inclusion isn’t charity—it’s competitive advantage.
Let’s stop treating DEI like a favor and start treating it like the strategic lever it truly is.
